


it'll only take a second

by led_zephlin



Category: Rusty Quill Gaming (Podcast)
Genre: 'what if cel invents fidget spinners' in this world, Anxiety, Claustrophobia, Comfort, Developing Friendships, Gen, Prompt Fill, listen i came up with the idea, mentions of cel & jasper bc theyre good buddies, platonic comfort, that's where this came from
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-10
Updated: 2019-08-10
Packaged: 2020-08-14 11:48:47
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 683
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20191786
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/led_zephlin/pseuds/led_zephlin
Summary: Azu is claustrophobic. Cel tries to help.Prompt fill for abbyjade for her birthday: Cel n friendship + "It'll only take a second."





	it'll only take a second

**Author's Note:**

  * For [abbeghoul](https://archiveofourown.org/users/abbeghoul/gifts).

> Happy birthday, Abbegail!!! hope you like this <3

Azu needs to keep moving, she knows that. The faster she moves, the sooner they’ll be out of the tunnels and the sooner this tightness in her chest will fade. She knows this, she’s always known this, but when it gets to the point that even her armor feels like it’s suffocating her, she has to stop; to stop and close her eyes, trying to make herself breathe slow and even.

“Are you okay?” Cel asks, putting a hand on Azu’s shoulder, startling her.

Azu does her best to force a smile. “Yes, thank you, Cel. I just-I just need a moment.”

“I’m real sorry I ran out of Reduce potions,” Cel says sincerely. “I should have expected that there’d be more tunnels.”

“It’s alright,” Azu says, wringing her hands a bit, casting a dark look at the clustered dirt walls around them, “I’ve done this before, I can do it again.”

“It’s not, though,” says Cel. “If only...oh! Hang on a moment-” They begin to rifle through the many pockets bulging in their long coat and pants, muttering to themself.

“What are you doing?” Azu asks, watching them curiously.

“I know how I can help! Just give me a sec, I know I still have some somewhere-”

“I wouldn’t want to trouble you,” says Azu hurriedly. “Especially if you need your tools for later-”

“It’s no trouble, it’ll only take a second--a-ha!” Triumphantly, they pull an assortment of gears and screws out of one of their pockets. “Found the little buggers.” 

They begin to fit the gears together, sliding a small piece of metal through all the holes, connecting them before topping off both ends with a brassy cap, securing all the gears along a short pole. Cel holds the small creation aloft proudly, before handing it to Azu.

“This might help,” they say earnestly. Azu takes it, confused.

“I-what is this?”

Cel’s brow furrows. “Oh, sorry, I forget that no one else has ever thought of these, dunno why.” They take it back from Azu, and hold it up to the dim, bobbing glow of Hamid’s Dancing Lights. Cel flicks one of the gears with a long finger, and Azu watches it spin wildly. There’s something oddly soothing about the movement. 

“You just keep spinning the gears, and hopefully it’ll help distract you from all the-” they wave a hand in an aimless gesture, “-tight spaces.”

Azu takes it back from them and does as they demonstrated. The gears glint in the light and rattle as they move. Cel watches with a hopeful expression on their features. 

It does help, in a strange way. 

“Oh, that’s...that’s quite good, actually,” Azu says, surprised. “I’ve never thought of this before.”

“I know, right? It’s weirdly good,” says Cel eagerly. “I used to make ‘em when I was a kid and they really helped, and now I make ‘em for Jasper all the time because he loses them so much.” Their smile falters a bit at the mention of Jasper, and even their hair, which always stands on end, seems to droop a bit.

“You miss him?” says Azu gently. Cel starts fiddling with some extra gears, fitting them together and creating a similar device.

“Yeah,” Cel says. “I’ve just never been away this long from him before, y’know? Just worried, that’s all.”

Azu puts a hand on their shoulder. “It’s very sweet of you to think about him,” she says. “You’re a good friend, Cel.”

Cel’s face and ear turn pink at that. “Oh, you think so?” 

Azu holds up the spinner Cel made for her as if to prove her point. “I do.”

“Aw, that’s real nice of you to say,” Cel says. “I like you, Azu. You’re a good friend, too.”

“Thank you-”

“Hey, Azu? Cel? Everything alright back there?” Zolf calls from the front.

“All good,” Azu replies.

“We should probably get moving, huh?” Cel says.

“Yes, we should.” Azu flicks the gears again, listening to the oddly soothing whir as they spin. “Thank you for your help, Cel.”

They beam at that. “Anything for a friend.”


End file.
